Gas-phase electron paramagnetic resonance detection of nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide in polluted air.

GAS-PHASE ELECTRON PARAMAGNETIC RESONANCE HAS BEEN APPLIED TO THE DETECTION OF NO AND NO2 IN POLLUTED AIR. NO2 IN POLLUTED AIR IS DETECTED BY ZEEMAN MODULATION AT 1 ATM OF SAMPLE PRESSURE, WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM O2 AND NO, AND NO IS DETECTED BY STARK MODULATION UNDER THE REDUCED SAMPLE PRESSURE OF LESS THAN 0.1 TORR WITHOUT ANY INTERFERENCES OF COEXISTING SUBSTANCES. THE SENSITIVITY IS BETTER THAN 30 PPB FOR NO AND NO2 WITH A SAMPLE VOLUME OF 1.5 L WHEN A NOVEL LOW-TEMPERATURE TRAPPING TECHNIQUE IS ADOPTED. WHEN THE SAMPLE IS OBSERVED WITHOUT ANY ENRICHMENT, THE MINIMUM DETECTABLE LIMIT IS 10 PPM FOR NO2. THE APPLICATION SHOWS THE EPR SPECTRA OF NO IN A SAMPLE OF AUTOMOBILE EXHAUST. /AUTHOR/